Can carrier having retaining tab with gusset



R. E. DE PAUL 3,347,366 CAN CARRIER HAVING RETAIIHENG TAB WITH GUSSETOct. 17, 1967- 2 $heets-$heet 1 Filed July 21, 1966 frzveri. 07".- J36720:7155 DePczuZ 9 R. E. DE PAUL 3,347,366

CAN CARRIER HAVING RETAINING TAB WITH GUSSET Filed July 21, 1966 2Sheets-$heet fnvenizr's fiz'C/larcigpej aul United States Patent3,347,366 CAN CARRIER HAVING RETAINING TAB WITH GUSET Richard E. DePaul, Norristown, Pa., assignor to Container Corporation of America,Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 21, 1966, Ser. No.566,784 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wraparoundcarton, for enclosing a plurality of cylindrical articles with recessedends, having opposed pairs of top and bottom end walls and side wallshingedly attached to form an open ended tubular structure; and having aplurality of cylindrical articles retaining tabs cut from at least oneof said end walls and folded inwardly therefrom for engagement with therecess ends of the cylindrical articles; and having means formaintaining each of said tabs in engagement with a related end whichincludes a gusset hingedly interconnecting the tab and said one endwall.

This invention relates to a sleeve-type wraparound carrier carton forenclosing a plurality of cylindrical articles having chimed recessedends, and more particularly, to an improved can retaining tab, withintegral gusset, formed in one end wall of the carrier carton and foldedinwardly therefrom for engaging the recessed end of the article toprevent movement of the article out of the open end of the carriercarton.

This invention is related to that disclosed in copending applicationSerial No. 462,944, filed June 10, 1965, entitled Can Carrier.

As is well known to those familiar with the art of packaging, a commonway to package cylindrical articles, such as metal cans, is to wrap themin a tubular open-ended carrier cart-on with the cans being arranged inthe carton in one or more rows extending longitudinally of the carton.In cartons of this type, it is necessary to provide means for preventingthe cans from accidentally moving out of the open ends of the carton.One method of solving this problem is to cut retaining tabs from the topor bottom end wall panels of the carton and to fold the tabs inwardlyinto the recessed ends of the chimed cans to engage the inside edgesthereof and thereby prevent the cans from moving out the ends of thecarton.

With the introduction of the pop-top metal cans which have built-inopening devices having raised handle portions above the outer endsurface of the can, an additional problem is presented, namely that ofinsuring relatively tight engagement between the can retaining tab andthe recessed end of the packaged article. In the above referred tocopending patent application, a wedge-shaped web panel is interposedbetween the end wall panel of the carton and a portion of the tabstructure itself to extend at substantially right angles to both toforce the free edge of the tab away from the main wall of the carrierand against the recessed end of the can. This wedge-shaped web panelthus maintains tight engagement of the tab against the can for reliablyholding the same.

This invention approaches the problem from a slightly different angle,instead of serving to depress the can tab to force it against the fiatrecessed end of the packaged can, the gusset in this invention projectsbelow the plane of the tab and presents a vertical surface whichdirectly engages a vertical surface presented by the recessed end of thecan to prevent movement of the can out of the end of the carton.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide in a cancarrier carton of the type described, a retaining tab with an integralgusset which projects into the recessed can end and engages a verticalsurface thereof to prevent lateral movement of the can relative to theadjacent wall of the car-ton.

A more specific object of invention is the provision of a can retainingtab hinged to a wall of the carton about a first hinge line and havingan integral gusset which also connects the tab to the carton wall andwhich is hinged to the tab and carton wall on hinge lines which lie onopposite sides of said first hinge line.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from anexamination of the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view of a carrier carton embodyingfeatures of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the blanks from which the carton of FIGURE 1is formed;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the structure illustratedin FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse, horizontal section taken on line 44 of FIGURE1;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section taken on line 55 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURES 6 and 7 are views similar to FIGURES 3 and 4, respectively, butillustrating a modified form of the invention.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elementshave been intentionally omitted from certain views where they areillustrated to better advantage in others.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of theinvention, it will be seen that in FIGURE 1 there is illustrated an openend sleeve-type wraparound carrier carton, illustrated generally at C,which may be formed from the unitary blank, indicated at B (FIG. 2) ofsuitable sheet material such as foldable paperboard.

The carton holds a plurality of cylindrical objects such as chimed cans,generally indicated at K which are arranged in one or more rowsextending longitudinally of the car-ton. In the carton illustrated inFIGURE 1, the cans are arranged in two parallel rows disposed insideby-side relation.

It will be noted from an examination of FIGURE 5, that the cansillustrated herein are provided with recessed end portions which presenta generally fiat, horizontal top surface T and a generally cylindricalvertical inner surface I.

Referring to FIGURES l and 2, it will be seen that the carton includes apair of parallel, transversely extending, vertically spaced top andbottom walls 10 and 12, respectively, which are interconnected by a pairof opposed parallel, transversely spaced, vertical side walls 14 to forma tubular structure open at the ends. Referring also to FIG. 2 it willbe seen that while the top wall 10 is formed from a single panel, bottomwall 12 includes a pair of coplanar bottom wall panels 16 having theirouter side edges hingedly attached to the adjacent lower edges of therelated side walls 14 and having their inner edges attached to a centralcan retaining member 18, which extends longitudinally of the carton andprojects into the carton between the adjacent rows of cans. Thisconstruction is disclosed more fully in United States Letters Patent No.3,010,573 and my above mentioned copending application. The retainingmember 18 is formed from cooperating pairs of first and second strips 20and 22, respectively. First strips 20 are hinged to the inner edges ofthe bottom panel 16 and extend into the carton at right angles to thebottom wall in back-to-back relation where they are secured to eachother by adhesive means. The second strips 22 are hinged to the inner orupper edges of first strips 20 and extend downwardly and outwardlytowards the bottom wall for engagement with the related edges of the canchimes to maintain the cans in firm engagement with the bottom wall ofthe carton.

It will be understood that the central retaining member previouslydescribed is not an essential feature of the invention covered by thisapplication, but can be replaced by other equivalent arrangements.

The one-piece top wall panel of the carton may be provided with a pairof hand grip holes or openings 24 to facilitate grasping and lifting ofthe package. Also, in order to facilitate opening of the package, one ofthe side walls 14 can be provided with a series of weakened lines oftear 26, and the top wall can be provided with a cut score punch-insection 28 which affords access to the top of the side wall of thecarton adjacent the weakened lines 26, so that the carton can be easilyripped open along the weakened lines of tear.

In order to prevent the cans from accidentally moving out of the openends of the carton there are provided in the top and/ or bottom walls ofthe carton, adjacent the ends of the cans, can retaining tabs 30 and 31disposed over and under, respectively, the end can of each row. The canretaining tabs 31 in the bottom wall of the carton are of the samegeneral type as those disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.2,980,249.

It will be understood, of course, that where cans having chimes at onlyone end are packaged, only that end of the carton need be provided withcan retaining tabs.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, each tab 30 is generally triangular orpie-shaped in contour, is cut from the tOp wall 10 on a cut line 32, andis hinged to the top wall on a hinge line 34.

Tab 30 is therefore adapted to be folded approximately 180 degrees underthe top wall 10 in back-to-back relation as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

Each tab 30 also includes an integral gusset 40 which also serves toconnect the tab to carton top Wall 10. In the embodiment illustrated inFIGURES 15 gusset 40 is located at one end of tab 30. Gusset 40 isformed partly from material cut from tab 30 and partly from material cutfrom end wall It). Gusset 40 is defined by a pair of outbound andinbound cuts 42 and 44, respectively, and by a pair of outer and inneror second and third hinge lines 46 and 48 which serve to hinge thegusset to carton end wall 10 and tab 30, respectively. It will be notedthat hinge lines 46 and 48 be on opposite sides of hinge line 34 whichis the primary connection between the tab and the carton end wall.

Also gusset 40 may be divided by a fourth hinge 49 or fold line into twosections. Fourth hinge line 49 lies between first hinge line 34 andthird hinge line 48.

The function of the tab and gusset is best illustrated in FIGURES 4 andwhere it can be seen that as each tab 30 is folded back about hinge line34, gusset 40 is deflected to project downwardly into the recessed endof the can whereby the vertical side edge 50 of gusset 40 directlyengages vertical inner surface I presented by the recessed end of thecan to thereby prevent the can from moving out of the open end of thecarrier carton.

' Now turning to FIGURES 6 and 7, it will be seen that the modified formof the invention shown therein is very similar to the previouslydescribed embodiment, the primary difference residing in the location ofthe retaining tab.

As best seen in FIGURE 6, tab 30 has a gusset 40' which is locatedcentrally of the tab instead of at the end of the tab.

Gusset 40 is defined by outbound and inbound cut lines 42 and 44,respectively, and by outer and inner hinge lines 46', and 48,respectively, and may be divided in two by an additional hinge line 49.

Tab 30' and gusset 40' function in basically the same manner aspreviously described tab 30 and gusset 40 except that tab 30' is locatedfurther from the end edge of the carton top wall so that the tabactually rests on top of the top edge of the can while the vertical edgeof gusset 40 projects into the recessed end to engage the vertical innersurface presented by the recessed can end.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sleeve-type, wraparound, carrier carton for enclosing aplurality of cylindrical articles each having a recessed end presentingan inner vertical surface, the combination of:

(a) opposed pairs of top and bottom end walls and side walls hingedlyattached to form a tubular struc ture open at the ends;

(b) a plurality of can retaining tabs cut from at least one of said endwalls and folded inwardly therefrom about a first hinge line intoapproximately parallel relation with said one end wall;

(c) each of said tabs including a gusset which serves as an additionalconnection between said one end wall and said tab;

(d) said gusset being formed partly from material cut from said tab andpartly from material cut from said one end wall;

(c) said gusset being hingedly attached to said one end wall and saidtab by a pair of second and third hinge lines which lie on oppositesides of said first hinge line;

(f) said gusset projecting into the recessed end of an article andpresenting a vertical side edge engageable with the inner verticalsurface of said recessed end to prevent movement of the article out ofthe open end of said tubular structure;

(g) said gusset being divided into two adjacent sections by a fourthhinge line lying bet-ween said first and third hinge lines.

2. A carton according to claim 1, wherein said gusset is locatedadjacent one end of said tab.

3. A carton according to claim 1, wherein said gusset is locatedapproximately centrally of said tab.

4. A carton according to claim 1, wherein said tab is folded intoback-to-back relation with said one end wall so as to lie between theouter extremity of the packaged article and said one end wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,804,204 8/1957 Collura 2062,814,385 11/1957 Stone 206-65 3,292,843 12/ 1966 Chidsey et al. 20665DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Examiner.

1. IN A SLEEVE-TYPE, WRAPAROUND, CARRIER CARTON FOR ENCLOSING APLURALITY OF CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES EACH HAVING A RECESSED END PRESENTINGAN INNER VERTICAL SURFACE, THE COMBINATION OF: (A) OPPOSED PAIRS OF TOPAND BOTTOM END WALLS AND SIDE WALLS HINGEDLY ATTACHED TO FORM A TUBULARSTRUCTURE OPEN AT THE ENDS; (B) A PLURALITY OF CAN RETAINING TABS CUTFROM AT LEAST ONE OF SAID END WALLS AND FOLDED INWARDLY THEREFROM ABOUTA FIRST HINGE LINE INTO APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL RELATION WITH SAID ONEEND WALL; (C) EACH OF SAID TABS INCLUDING A GUSSET WHICH SERVES AS ANADDITIONAL CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID ONE END WALL AND SAID TAB; (D) SAIDGUSSET BEING FORMED PARTLY FROM MATERIAL CUT FROM SAID TAB AND PARTLYFROM MATERIAL CUT FROM SAID ONE END WALL; (E) SAID GUSSET BEING HINGEDLYATTACHED TO SAID ONE END WALL AND SAID TAB BY A PAIR OF SECOND AND THIRDHINGE LINES WHICH LIE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FIRST HINGE LINE; (F)SAID GUSSET PROJECTING INTO THE RECESSED END OF AN ARTICLE ANDPRESENTING A VERTICAL SIDE EDGE ENGAGEABLE WITH THE INNER VERTICALSURFACE OF SAID RECESSED END TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE ARTICLE OUT OFTHE OPEN END OF SAID TUBULAR STRUCTURE; (G) SAID GUSSET BEING DIVIDEDINTO TWO ADJACENT SECTIONS BY A FOURTH HINGE LINE LYING BETWEEN SAIDFIRST AND THIRD HINGE LINES.